My Favorite Horror Story

[Brian Richmond]

I know this is a strange confession to make in such a setting, but I am a bit of a sentimental old fool. One of the effects horror fiction can create - and that is often overlooked - is a frisson of sadness. At about 11 years old my introduction to horror was helped by various Alfred Hitchcock Anthologies, particularly the Monster Museum and the Ghostly Gallery. It was in the former, I think, that I read The Homecoming by Ray Bradbury. I remember the part when the mother tells the little boy - the only mortal among a family of vampires, shape-shifters and the like - that, when he is dead, she will come and tend his grave. At 11 years old, this was devastating. Of course, I'm now much older and more cynical but, catch me in the right mood and...no,no...I've just got some dust in my eye, that's all...
Not a particularly cool choice, I know but I'll have to crave your indulgence.
On a somewhat darker note, The Room in the Tower by EF Benson never fails to give me the willies, along with with the same author's The Caterpillars.

[enthusiast]

Here are some of my favorites:

"His Unconquerable Enemy" by W.C. Morrow- a fiendish tale by a neglected master of the macabre, set in India.

"Talking in the Dark" by Dennis Etchison-- an atmosphere of menace grows steadily in this short piece.

"The Shadow over Innsmouth" by H.P. Lovecraft-- a superb sense of place, exquisite descriptions of dilapidation and decay, and a monstrous yet strangely beautiful climax.

"Sardonicus" by Ray Russell-- the main character inspires both revulsion and sympathy- a man whose face is locked in a perpetual grin.

"The Skull of the Marquis De Sade" by Robert Bloch-- an interesting blend of history and fiction, definitely worth reading.

"The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" by Edgar Allan Poe-- be sure to check out Vincent Price's interpretation of Valdemar in one segment of the movie Tales of Terror.

"Skeleton" by Ray Bradbury-- a story of a man afraid of his own skeleton.

"Lot No. 249" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-- features a reanimated mummy.

"The Cone" by H.G. Wells-- descriptions of the unique beauties of factories and industrialization can be found in this tale of psychological horror.

"The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne-- an excellent example of quiet horror and Hawthorne's obsession with the problem of sin.

[Karnos]

Quite a few, these are the ones that come to mind right not, but in no particular order

-The Ash tree, M.R. James
-Green Tea, J. S. Lefanu
-Carmila, J. S. Lefanu
-The Great God Pan, Arthur Machen
-A voice in the Night, William Hope Hodgson
-The Color out of Space, H. P. Lovecraft
-Netherscurial, TL, of course!
-Apartment 205, Mark Samuels
-An Abhorrence to al Flesh, Matt Cardin (When's the next anthology out, Matt?!)
-The Midnight Meat Train", Clive Barker
-partofit, Simon Logan (Not exactly horror, but eerie)
-The Pit and the Pendulum, E.A. Poe
-The Night, Guy de Maupassnt
-I have no mouth and I must scream, Harlan Ellison
-The Area, Stefan Grabinski
-The Spider, Hanns Heinz Ewers
-The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
-The Decapitated Chicken, Horacio Quiroga.


Plenty of stories by HPL ad TL… plenty

[Karnos]

Quote Originally Posted by bendk";p=&quot

The Hole of the Pit by Adrian Ross Selected by R.S. Hadji "An extraordinary historical fantasy, chronicling the seige of a seaside castle during the Englih Civil War by the "Fiend from the Pit," an amorphous mass of cold grey slime. Written in a graceful pastiche of seventeenth-century English, this novel boasts strong characterizations, a fine brooding atmosphere and several effectively horrific outbursts. It is that avis rara, a completely unknown masterpiece, rivaling the best of Hodgson."

I own the Spanish translation of this book (I'm told it is the only translation in any language other than the original English, that rare is that book supposed to be) but I am not that thrilled about it. Legend has it none other but Ramsey Campbell stumbled upon it, collecting dust in an old box he had stored somewhere in his attic... some actually think the book was penned by Campbell himself using the Adrian Ross pseudonym, although there are supposedly some historical records that claim M. R. James actually was a friend of Ross... so who knows.

Some of the material in that book is similar to what one could find in the works of William Hope Hodgson (Specifically in "The House at the Borderland" ) and even HPL, but most of the book is centered around other issues and the slimy grotesquerie is thrown on stage as a second rate attraction, or at least that's the way I perceived it.

[bendk]

Interesting back story on "The Hole of the Pit", Karnos, I hadn't heard it before. I still haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I do know that it was rediscovered in the anthology Uncanny Banquet edited by Campbell. Who knows, maybe he just added the monster, if it sits oddly on the page.

I am in agreement with many of your story selections. Ewer's "Spider" is outstanding, as is Gilman's "Yellow Wallpaper." I meant to post something on your thread, but work has me very distracted lately. I have the "Yellow Wallpaper" on audio too, in two separate versions. One is an unabridged reading and the other is a radio play adaptation done in the 1940s (I think) for the show Suspense. TL shares an anthology with Gilman's story in American Gothic Tales edited by Joyce Carol Oates. I also have a weakness for Barker's "Midnight Meat Train." I haven't read it in years, though, and I do remember having a chuckle at Joshi's less than complimentary review of it. That's it for now. Back to work. Sigh.

[G. S. Carnivals]

In my library is an anthology named The Horror Hall of Fame edited by Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg. Its contents reflect the polling results of participants in the 1981 and 1982 World Fantasy Conventions. From the book's introduction: "The Horror Hall of Fame was conceived with the idea of paying tribute to the many writers and stories that predate the World Fantasy Convention and have helped make horror the rich and complex body of literature it is today." Tastes, of course, are relative. The cream, however, does rise to the top. (Note the titles which have already been mentioned. These are certainly recommended!) The book's contents:

"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe
"Green Tea" By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
"The Damned Thing" by Ambrose Bierce
"The Yellow Sign" by Robert W. Chambers
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
"The White People" by Arthur Machen
"The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood
"Casting the Runes" by M. R. James
"The Graveyard Rats" by Henry Kuttner
"Pigeons from Hell" by Robert E. Howard
"It" by Theodore Sturgeon
"Smoke Ghost" by Fritz Leiber
"Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" by Robert Bloch
"The Small Assassin" by Ray Bradbury
"The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" by Harlan Ellison
"Calling Card" by Ramsey Campbell
"Coin of the Realm" by Charles L. Grant
"The Reach" by Stephen King

There is much tasty reading here. Enjoy, my friends!

[eth]

Edit: Naught.

[simon p. murphy]

I think there is a strong prima facie case that everything that has ever been written is horror...

But this aside, one of my favorite horror stories of all time has to be the Bible. Warning: spoilers below!

An entity of dubious moral integrity exists alone in The Outer Void. Unsatisfied with keeping his own company, He decides to generate other intelligent life-forms in the Void - He knows this is a cosmic sin, but He quickly changes the rules to salve His conscience.

He later feels that His creaions don't quite live up to His own impeccable standards, and so He goes gangsta on practically every living thing on earth. Satan was kind of like Charles Manson - very charismatic, and his preferred mode of operation was to convince other people to do his dirty work. God, on the other hand, likes to get hands on. From cover to cover, God kills hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children.

Consider this, taken from www.stanford.edu

"A person with a borderline personality disorder often experiences a repetitive pattern of disorganization and instability in self-image, mood, behavior and close personal relationships. This can cause significant distress or impairment in friendships and work. A person with this disorder can often be bright and intelligent, and appear warm, friendly and competent. They sometimes can maintain this appearance for a number of years until their defense structure crumbles, usually around a stressful situation like the breakup of a romantic relationship or the death of a parent".

Or the death of an only child, perhaps....?

His worshippers, on the other hand, present as textbook examples of sexually abused children, meeting challenges to their values, beliefs or lifestyle responses equivalent to 'daddy chose me because I'm special'.

In true Ligottian style, everyone is totally screwed from the beginning; God made heaven practically impossible to get into just so He could watch his creations squirm trying to get there, and even those that do make it realise how crap it is, and that they're stuck there forever.

End of rant - don't take anything I say too seriously, because I was probably stoned when I said it.

[bendk]

Quote Originally Posted by Dollglove";p=&quot

But this aside, one of my favorite horror stories of all time has to be the Bible.

I agree, it is quite a horror story. (I can think of a few other names to call it) But always keep in mind, it is only fiction.

[AetherSanctum]

Do you mean short story or novel?

My favorite horror short story would have to be "The Picture In The House" by H.P. Lovecraft

My favorite horror novel is "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. (Although it is a western)